Byeon mercer



B. MERCER.

NEGKTIE (No Model.)

No. 557,591. P55en5edApr. 7, 1895.

NiTnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BYRON MERCER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE F. ANDERSON, OF SAME PLACE.

NECKTIE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,591, dated April 7, 1896.

Application filed August 28, 1895. Serial No. 560,777. (No model) To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Beit known that I, BYRON MERCER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, Cook county, State ot' Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Neckties, of which I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My present invention has relation more particularly to that class of neckties commonly known as four-in-hand ties, this being a class of ties in which one or both ends of a scarf are made somewhat larger than the neckband and are adapted to be tied with a ilat slip-knot adjacent the neck of the wearer. In the use of this class of ties it is found that the iiat front portion of the knot being exposed to contact with the chin of the wearer is apt to become speedily soiled, so that the tie is rendered uniit for use before the main portions of the tie have been materially affected by wear.

The object of my invention is to provide means whereby a four-in-hand necktie or scarf may be worn fora much longer period, and this object I have accomplished by providing a sleeve adapted to be slipped over that part of the tie that forms the front portion of the knot, so that when such portion of the tie has become soiled or worn the sleevepiece will ait'ord a clean unworn surface corresponding in color with the body of the tie and by much prolonging its service.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view of a four-in-hand tie having my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a view of the tie with one of the ends brought partially around the other in the act of tying the knot. Fig. 3 is a view of a tie, showing the sleeve-carrying end brought across the front of the opposite end in order to form the front part of the knot. Fig. 4 is a view of the tie after the knot has been formed. Eig. 5 is a face view of the sleeve, and Fig. G is a cross-section thereof. Fig. 7 is a back view of a modification, showing another form of sleeve; and Fig. S is a cross-section thereof. A designates the contracted portion of the tie that fits about the neckband of the collar, and A denotes the broad end of the tie, and A2 the somewhat-contracted end of the tie.

If desired, both of the ends of the tie may be broad, as is sometimes the case with neckties of this character. Ordinarily the fourin-hand has its face or exposed portion formed of a high-grade material, such as silk, satin, or the like, while the back or non-exposed portion is formed of some cheaper material serving as a lining, although, if desired, both the front and back of the tie may be formed of the same material. Over that portion of the broad end A of the tie adjacent the neckband A is slipped a sleeve B. This sleeve B will preferably have its outer face formed of the same color and material as the front of the end A; but the back of the sleeve B may be formed of cheaper material, or, if desired, of the same material as its front. The upper end of the sleeve B-that is to say, the end adjacent the neckband A of the tie-is contracted, so as to restrict the downward movement of the sleeve upon the end portion A of the tie.

My purpose is to furnish one or more sleeves B with each four-in-hand tie, so that after the tie has been used and that portion of the tie that forms the `flat exposed front of the knot has become worn or soiled the sleeve B will be slipped over the tie to the position seen in Fig. l., so as to cover such worn or soiled portion. This sleeve B is made of such length that it will not only cover the front flat portion of the knot,but will extend back of this fiat front portion, so that the ends of the sleeve will be hidden behind the knot. Thus by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings it will be seen that the contracted end l) of the sleeve is in such position that when the end A is turned over to the position seen in Eig. 3, so as to form the lat exposed front of the tie, the contracted end l) will be hidden. So, also, it will be understood that when the end A of the tie is brought behind and above the neckband and is then turned down behind the front portion of the knot the end ZJ' of the sleeve will also be hidden behind the knot. Hence it will be seen that when the sleeve B is in proper position and the knot has been formed in the usual manner the ends of the sleeve B will be completely hidden, so that the tie will present the same appearance as if the sleeve B were integral with the end A.

It is obvious that the back part of the sleeve B need not be completely closed, although such is the preferred embodiment of the invention, since the back part of the sleeve might be formed of straps or loops. So, also, it will be understood that any suitable kind of fastening may be employed for connecting the sleeve B to the body of the tie so as to hold it in proper position with respect thereto.

In Fig. 7 of the drawings l have shown a slightly-modified construction of the sleeve B-that is to say, the back of the sleeve is left open, its edges being connected at top and bottom by a frame C of fine flexible wire. The frame C passes through a hem formed at the edges of the sleeve B.

Having thus described the invention7 what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, s-

1. The combination with a four-in-hand necktie, of a long sleeve of ilexible material having a contracted upper end to restrict its downward movement on the tie, said sleeve being somewhat longer than that part of the tie that covers the front of the fastened knot, whereby the ends ofthe sleeve may be brought to the back of the knot and hidden, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a four-in-hand necktie, of a sleeve of flexible material somewhat longer than that part of the necktie that covers the front of the fastened knot, whereby the ends of the sleeve may be hidden, substantially as described.

BYRON MERCER. Vitnesses:

GEO. P. FISHER, Jr., ALBERTA ADAMIGK. 

